Middle Grades Literature

[LauraBeth475]

I'm trying to picture what the 7-8th grade literature essays described in TWTM look like, and coming up blank.

 

Anyone have one they'd be willing to post?

[Lori D.]

Susan Wise Bauer's audio lectures might help further explain that for you:

"What is Literary Analysis? When, Why, and How Should I Teach It?", and

"A Plan for Teaching Writing: The Middle Grades"

 

Also check out SWB's list of Logic stage literature questions; she suggests:

"Teach the student to write short essays as answers to [thinking questions and evaluation] questions… One page or less to begin with (after conversation) answering one of the discussion questions… Move towards answering two or more questions, including one of the evaluation questions… Preserve the student’s love of reading… Talk first, then write… Don’t talk and write about every single book… Don’t beat a book to death. (One week of discussion is more than enough)… Don’t talk and write about the books the student LOVES."

 

 

Reading Questions Used on the WASL: 5th-7th grade, Shoreline School District is a good list of questions for oral discussion, and then to use as written response/beginning essay to literature

 

You can also use Socratic questions to help prompt oral discussion, and from that, have the student pick their answer to one question, or write about an especially interesting point the student thought of as you orally discussed the book.

 

As far as what that ends up looking like… I can only speak to what I shoot for in my Lit. & Comp. co-op classes at the grade 7-8 level. That usually looks like a very short reader response -- a 1 paragraph (approx. 75-150 words) answer/explanation to the student's choice of the 4-6 pretty specific prompt questions I provide -- with the idea that these will be a stepping stone for the students for later on in high school to write longer literary analysis essays in which they have generated the topic of the paper themselves.

 

I can't provide examples from my class, but these sample Constructed Response Items: Grade 7 from School Improvement in Maryland are *sort of* along the lines of what I mean.

 

I do provide a model or outline of what needs to go where in their paragraph, AND esp. at the beginning of the year I write a simple sample answer to an extra prompt question so that the students can see exactly what they're shooting for, and so they can begin to build towards learning the parts of a written essay so they'll have the tools for later on in high school for writing a literary analysis essay. Below is an example of the kind of instructions/model I try to give students. Hope that helps! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

______________________________

 

 

Write a complete paragraph, consisting of complete sentences, in answer to your choice of one of the following prompt questions. Your final paragraph will have the following:

 

sentence 1 (topic sentence)

- rephrase the question as a statement

- AND include your answer to the question

- AND include both the title of the work and the author's name

 

sentences 2-…. (body - support/examples)

- these sentences build your argument or explain your answer

- this part of your paragraph includes specific examples or details from the work that support your point (your answer)

 

next to last sentence (body - commentary/explanation)

- the "connect the dots" sentence that connects your support (examples/details from the work) to your point in the topic sentence

- this sentence tells how or why the examples or details you just used work to support your point

- this sentence fills in the blank of the statement: "This [the examples/details of the previous sentences] shows that ______________" 

 

last sentence (conclusion)

- the "bow on the gift-wrapped present" that is your paragraph

- wraps up or sums up your paragraph

- restates the key idea [your response to the prompt question] from the topic sentence

- includes your final thought or argument about your answer to the prompt question, or leaves the reader with a final overall reflection that is an extension of your answer to the prompt

 

______________________________

 

ETA -- PS

And I just want to stress that we work up to these types of reader response 1-paragraph "mini-essays" through a lot of time with oral discussion. It can be very helpful to start with having the student answer a short series of questions (like those from the Maryland schools link above) to model building up to a full paragraph answer. :)

Edited August 13, 2016 by Lori D.

[LauraBeth475]

Thank you for all that - I saved it for future reference.

 

We've used and liked SWB's questions. I think maybe I'm making this more complicated than necessary for junior high.

 

I'll post a book response paragraph in the feedback folder next time he does one.